METHODS OF EXPL
ion of a community, and, in fact, of the
world at large, is constantly subject to
modification, sometimes for reasons ob
vious to all, sometimes as a result of in
fluences more subtle and obscure.
Such being the case, I recommend to
the consideration of the Congress a
principle which I submit is inseparably
wrapped up with the best interests of
geographical research in the Africa of
today-a principle which hitherto has
received but little attention at the hands
of geographers at large, and still less, if
any at all, by the general public.
In the school days of most of us an
intelligent boy could acquire in a few
hours all that was to be learned from the
map of Africa-a huge yellow continent
fringed by a coast-line, on which alone
was to be found any information of a
definite nature. The life-long labors,
the enthusiasm, and the splendid suc
cesses of David Livingstone were already
awakening throughout the world a la
tent interest in a continent the interior
of which was better known in the days
of Ptolemy than during the boyhood of
our own fathers.
The development of a great and at
tractive idea is seldom allowed to lapse
with the life of the initiator.
Thus the career of Livingstone sowed
the seeds of other careers and added
to the history of progressive civiliza
tion illustrious names which will retain
their luster until the world forgets
the meaning of the word manhood.
The last of this first generation of emi
nent modern explorers died only a few
months ago, and has left on record a
career scarcely less remarkable for ob
stacles met and overcome than for the
importance of the political and geo
graphical results springing from it.
The exploration of an unknown con
tinent, such as was Africa two genera
tions ago, must necessarily proceed by
stages. First, the main features of the
continent must be discovered-its gen
eral physical construction, the main
river systems, the character of the in-
ORATION IN AFRICA
409
habitants, and so forth. In fact, a
general knowledge of what the conti
nent contains must be acquired. To
attain this object it is necessary that ex
peditions should dive deep into the
depths of the unknown, should draw on
the map long lines which will intersect
what may be described as the main
skeleton and arteries of the body to be
constructed.
With Stanley's last great trip across
the continent this stage was practically
developed, and the time had arrived
when, in my humble opinion, the second
stage was ripe for development, when
the smaller bones, the veins, and the
tissues should be pieced into the skeleton
already constructed.
While fully acknowledging the valu
able results derived from the accumu
lated labors of more recent African ex
plorers, I submit that had geographers
in general realized twenty years ago
that it was time for generalization to
give place to specialization-in other
words, had recent exploration been di
rected more toward detailed research in
specially selected areas and less toward
what is, after all, little more than the
construction of glorified route maps, the
world's knowledge of Africa would to
day be more complete and more accurate
than it is. It follows that to the traveler
the former plan of campaign presents
advantages which are denied the latter.
An imposing journey from coast to coast
is unquestionably of great personal and
general interest. In passing rapidly
from tribe to tribe and through various
districts, the most difficult to please will
not complain of monotony or lack of in
teresting experience. Latitudinal posi
tions may be fixed with accuracy, longi
tudes less definitely. A more or less
sketchy account of the many peoples
encountered may be entered in the
diary and a general idea of various local
characteristics may be acquired, but
these are more in the nature of first im
pressions, and, as the many conflicting
ideas gleaned by different travelers in